Episode No. 8 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K."

Episode No. 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K.” opens in much the same way that episode No. 7 ended – team U.S. welterweight Jason Pierce is complaining about the infection in his leg.

Apparently his blasts of aerosol sanitizer throughout the house did not do the trick.

Pierce admits it’s his first time dealing with a staph infection, and he fears he’ll be a victim of amputation. He hopes the infection clears quickly so that he won’t be forced to fight “the U.K.’s best fighter” at less than 100 percent.

Pierce’s friend and opponent, Team U.K. David Faulkner, is busy preparing for the bout as well. And while gameplanning and conditioning are imperative, Faulkner’s biggest concern is with his “gumshield,” or mouthpiece as us Yanks call it.

Faulkner can’t seem to keep the mouthpiece in his mouth. A gag reflex bothers him at all times, and he struggles to move past the issue. U.K. coach Michael Bisping lets Faulkner know the issue could cost him the fight if he doesn’t get it under control quickly.

Team U.S. takes their training session outside for a game of Ultimate Frisbee. The team works hard during the game, and the morale in the group seems high – expect for Pierce.

Pierce says he may not be cleared because of the pain it’s causing. His teammates and coach let Pierce know this is his only chance and try to help him figure out a plan to remain in the competition. Pierce then says the doctor told him not to train due to the toll the work would take on his immune system.

Henderson tells us he wishes Pierce would quit emitting such negative energy.

Back at the house, the issues with Pierce continue. Team U.S. lightweight Santino Defranco says it’s necessary to address Pierce with a British accent if you hope to have him respond (unless you have a plate of food ready to be consumed).

Back at the gym, the fight announcement is made. Pierce apparently tucks, as Team U.S. lightweight Jason Dent is picked to face Team U.K.’s Jeff Lawson.

Henderson admits he had little choice with Pierce’s injuries, but still feels confident his fighter can win a chess match.

Dent is tense with the living situation of the house. He admits he feels confined, and his team tries to assure him things will be better after the fight.

In preparation, Henderson expresses concerns that Dent relies too much on his own strengths and appears “tough to coach.”

Back at the house, Lawson appears relaxed while joking and laughing with his teammates. The hijinks quickly turn into a full-fledged Lucha Libre bout, in and out of the house. Amazingly, no one gets hurt as the guys throw each other around and beat each other with various objects throughout the house.

The highlight is certainly the suplex off of the diving board into the pool.

Lawson speaks freely with teammates and the camera as he offers his gameplan. With 21 amateur and professional wins by armbar, Lawson is confident that he’ll win with the maneuver.

Lawson, who hasn’t trained much due to a chest infection, will also rely on his timid looks as a “ginger” you outfox his opponent.

As fight day approaches, both fighters appear confident, though Dent admits he’s a bit nervous. As the pair prepares in the dressing room, UFC President Dana White grabs Pierce and Henderson to discuss the staph situation.

Henderson tell Pierce on the way in he needs to “look alive.” Pierce doesn’t. White obviously doubts Pierce’s mental dedication, and Henderson is disappointed with his fighter’s attitude and interaction.

Pierce returns to the dressing room and slumps in the corner, while Dent and Lawson make their way to the cage.

Jason Dent vs. Jeff Lawson

Referee Herb Dean gets the fight started, and the two touch gloves and get underway. Both paw tentatively at each other to start before Lawson misses a huge high kick. The action opens a bit from there, and Lawson charges in for the takedown.

Dent resists and resets, taking the center of the cage. Lawson has his hands low, but Dent can’t capitalize. Lawson charges in, grabs an arm and drags Lawson to the floor.

Once on the mat, Lawson looks for a leg. The hold isn’t there, and Lawson peels off and returns to find Dent’s guard. Dent keeps his guard closed, and Lawson tries to slam out. Te position doesn’t change, and neither fighter is offering too much offense.

Lawson stands and begins to rain down punches from inside Dent’s guard. Lawson uses the heavy punches to distract Dent and move to mount. With one minute remaining, Dent tries to escape the position.

Lawson continues to punch, looking for a chance to lock in a submission. Dent is able to work free from the mount, but the round ends obviously in Lawson’s favor.

The second round opens with Dent knowing he needs to make a difference. Lawson again opens with his hands low. Lawson makes a mad rush for Dent, though the takedown is defended.

Lawson shoots in again, and Dent uses the sprawl perfectly, lands a few shots, then forces Lawson to stand. Lawson again dives to the ground and looks to secure a leg. Dent resists and the fight returns to the feet.

Lawson looks tired, but he responds to a charging Dent with a flying knee. Dent shakes it off, and when Lawson charges in agan, he falls directly into a front headlock. Dent adjust his grip to an anaconda choke, rolls, and forces the tap with 2:21 remaining in the bout.

Following the bout, Lawson admitted he was gassed, but White calls the win “far, far, far from impressive” based on his lack of aggression toward his winded opponent.

Lawson laments the loss because he won’t be able to take his family on vacation when he returns to the U.K.

As the episode comes to a close, Pierce is back in a meeting with White. It takes just moments for the UFC President to make the obvious call. Pierce didn’t act is if he needed to fight, and for that he is going home.

Pierce is crushed by the amount of “energy” he put forth.

Next week’s episode preview shows a replacement fighter being selected for Pierce, the rivalry between Team U.S. welterweight and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) blogger DaMarques Johnson reaching its boiling point, and Faulkner trying out a hypnotist to relieve his gag reflex.

Catch new episodes of “The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K.” every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV. MMAjunkie.com will recap each episode of the reality series, and full series coverage can be found on “The Ultimate Fighter 9” page.

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